What He Did To You
by Freekiellie
Summary: After meeting the battleship beauty with bulletproof abs and a fortress no man can break through, Levi decides he wants to try. The closer he gets to her, however, the further away from her he feels. There is something holding her back, and Levi is getting tired of being patient. Levi x Mikasa story, with past Jean x Mikasa
1. First Week: Bulletproof Abs

First Week: Bulletproof Abs

Levi bent back forward, sliding the bar on the rowing machine back into the slot so that it clicked. He released his hands from the grip and wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts. _Disgusting._ He grimaced, looking forward to his shower at the end of his workout. But of course, he wouldn't shower in the gym. The gym floor was probably littered with athlete's foot, verrucas and all sorts of diseases. Instead, he'd head home as quickly as possible, practically leaping into his home shower before his sweat dirtied his clean carpets.

 _I'm thinking about getting in the shower and I've only been going fifteen minutes._ Levi sighed, swallowing a mouthful of water and moving to stand up again.

"Shi-!" He yelped in surprise as a fire of pain shot up the outside of his leg. He nearly fell flat onto the floor again, until he managed to shift his weight safely onto his left leg. "This _fucking_ leg!" He cursed under his breath. A few weeks ago, Levi had pulled his leg at the gym with no idea how or when. The pain had erupted into his upper thigh the next day and hadn't ceased for another week. He'd taken some time off, recovering and then gradually bringing up his strength again... now this. _Back to square one._

He hobbled over to the bicep machines, trying to walk as normally as possible and not attract too much attention. Every time he put pressure onto his leg, the pain fired up again with spine jolting sharpness. Levi cursed the entire journey, until he finally reached the machine he wanted... only to find it was taken. With a suppressed grunt of irritation, Levi glanced around. The only free space appeared to be the gym's equivalent of a climbing frame, which had a high top bar with grips attached for pull ups. The sides were covered in florescent yellow straps which very few people had any idea how to use. He decided, with a 'tch' of annoyance, to do some pull ups until another machine became free.

He bent his knees to jump, knowing that what he was about to do would hurt. And it did. He jumped vertically until his hands brushed the grips, wincing as a shot of pain burned down his thigh. However, that was the hard part done. Now that his legs were swinging free, the pain somewhat reduced and he could proceed with his exercising. He pulled up so that his chin nearly touched the bar, then released down slowly. As he did so, something, or rather _someone_ caught his eye.

The gym seemed to have hired a new member of staff. She wore the 'PT' uniform blue t-shirt and a pair of tight shorts. She had incredible thigh muscles. For a woman, that was. Levi knew just how hard it was for females to build muscle. Their entire bodies seemed to reject the idea. Every process in their bodies prepared for a baby and that made it ridiculously difficult to sculpt the thighs that that girl had. His eyes wandered up her back and read her t-shirt. It said her name 'Mikasa' in bold letters with the same words as all the other instructors' written under it- 'Ask me for training tips!'. One more pull up and Levi observed what she was doing. She was smiling at a young teenage boy who looked like he should still be in nappies. He struggled to pull the lateral bar down for another rep, and the entire machine wobbled as he forced his muscles to work. She encouraged him until the moment he reached the end of the rep, sadistically making him hold the bar there for another few seconds. Eventually, she signalled that he could let go. There was a clatter as he ungracefully dropped the bar and bent over, panting.

Levi's eyes stopped staring at the scene and casually scoured the rest of the gym as he continued to pull up and down. He spotted the machine he wanted was finally empty and lowered himself down again. Forgetting about his injured leg, he dropped back onto the floor... All the way onto the floor, it turned out, as his legs gave way underneath him when he landed and within a second of confusion, he was laid on his back. Levi winced and let out a curse again.

"You all right?" A female voice asked. Levi knew without sitting up that it was Mikasa, the female PT. For one, she was the only female nearby at the time and two, her voice seemed to match her face. It was gentle, low and calm, like a breeze of air on a warm day.

"Yeah," He grunted, attempting to sit back up. "I just forgot that I was injured."  
"You shouldn't be here if you're injured." The woman replied, and Levi met her eyes for the first time. _...Fuck._ He thought. _She could model with those eyes._ In fact, she made a perfect advertisement for any Asian product. She had black, shiny, conditioned hair barely longer than her shoulders and almost-black eyes with thick eyelashes. Her skin was like that of a porcelain doll.

"I wasn't injured until I got here... well, not entirely." He took the hand that she had outstretched to him, shifting his weight completely onto his left leg.

"Are you done on here? Me and my client want to use it."

"Yeah sure." Levi waved a hand and moved to walk - or limp – away. Then, he noticed her take one of the yellow bands in her hands. "You're using those?" He asked before he realised the words were out of his mouth.

"Did you want to use them?"

"No, I've just never seen anyone use them. I don't really know what they are."

"You can do all sorts with them. I'll show you if you want?" Levi considered turning down the request and in normal circumstances, he would already be out of ear shot. Something stopped him from doing so. Something he didn't understand. _You know full well why you want to stay, Levi. You just want to look at her thighs._ It was the first time in a long time that he'd been this interested in a woman. Well, more like he was interested in her legs.

"Sure." Levi nodded, trying not to watch avidly as she bent down and looped her feet into the bottom of the straps. She began explaining what she was doing as she entered the press up position with her feet dangling by the straps off of the floor. Levi wasn't listening to a word she said, completely engrossed in the way her muscles worked. She continuously pulled down her loose fitting top and brushed her hair from her face.  
"Your turn, Sam." She said, standing up with a face a little flushed. "That's two things you can do already." She explained to Levi. "There are loads more." Mikasa took the band from her wrist and tied it into her hair so that her hair didn't fall on her face. Then, she removed her shirt without missing a beat. Levi darted his eyes away in shock, until he realised that she was wearing a sports crop top underneath.

"Are those abs bulletproof?" He muttered, only half aware that he'd said that out loud. Mikasa glanced over and smirked a little. She didn't respond, moving onto the next exercise with the strange bands. Levi realised why she'd tied her hair back and taken off her shirt for this, because over the next few minutes she'd bent into every position possible at every angle that existed.

Mikasa displayed at least 15 different exercises that could be done with the straps and Levi vaguely stored them in is brain for later. She continued coaching 'Sam' with his exercises whilst Levi watched from the sidelines.

"Are you two up for a challenge?" Mikasa asked, stirring Levi from his thoughts.

"Like what?" He asked, always the sceptic.

"Remember the front rows I showed you? As many of them with one arm in one minute."

"One arm?" Sam whined. Levi considered it, then decided he'd had enough conversation for one day.  
"I'll pass, thanks." He said and turned to leave to continue his work out alone.

"Scared of losing?" Mikasa jeered, aiming to goad him into the challenge.

"Maybe." He responded, casually.

"Or is it because you have a handicap with those short arms?" She tried to manipulate him over a height complex, which caused Levi to smile to himself. He knew some people who'd be tearing up the gym after that comment. Not him, though. He continued walking and searched for a free machine. "Boring!" She called out after him. He smiled a little wider, but didn't look back. He left the gym half an hour later without seeing her again.

 **AN-**

 **Just a quick note. I wasn't going to upload this story, but in the end I have. It follows two parts of the story at once, which I hope doesn't get too confusing. One part is Levi and Mikasa meeting, which is dictated by each week. The other is events in the past and it isn't in order. If it gets too confusing, let me know. Any mistakes, let me know too because I didn't write this with the intention of publicising it. Also, this story covers quite a few controversial topics or things readers may have been affected by. Feel free to PM me if you have a problem with the way I have presented an issue and we can sort it out.**

 **Thanks! Hope you enjoy!**


	2. He Left Scars On You

He Left Scars On You-

The apartment room was rank. It smelt like several things had died in the rafters and the walls were scarred with cracks. Water bled through the wallpaper, which might as well have not existed anyway from the amount that had peeled off. But Mikasa wasn't about to complain. She didn't _want_ to complain. Just the thought counted. The thought that Jean had worked hard for months and saved up for this moment made Mikasa smile. He'd probably been stressing out about the whole situation for months too.

"God," Jean wrinkled his nose. "It's awful. I'm really sorry, Mikasa."

"It's perfect." She dismissed, placing her bag down on the double bed to claim her side- the side nearest the window, as always.

"I should have gone for the other apartment and waited a few weeks. Sorry, I've ruined the-"

"Jean," Mikasa interrupted, making sure she had his attention before she continued. "It's fine. Everything's clean, it's just the walls are a bit old and damp." Jean looked at the bed sheets and noticed she was right. The building may have been falling apart, but the cushions, sheets and mattresses had all been washed. As Jean rifled through the cupboards to make a cup of tea, he noticed that everything inside there was clean too. It wasn't as bad as he had first thought... it was just the walls and that god-awful smell.

"There's no point in going out anywhere tonight," Mikasa spoke after she took her first sip of tea. "We've already eaten and it's getting late."

"Shall we play a game, then?" Jean suggested.

"Sure. We could play that naming one."

"Which naming one?"  
"The one we played on the train that time."  
"I suck at that and you know it." He whined, recalling the time where he'd been absolutely blitzed in a game they still hadn't created a name for.

"It's not that you suck," Mikasa said, tearing out a piece of paper for each of them. "I'm just good."

"Whatever." He sniffed. " _I'll_ create the categories this time."

"Sure." Mikasa shrugged. Jean thought hard to create a list of categories that he'd do well in and Mikasa wouldn't. It was a difficult task.

"Football players," He announced finally. "Spanish words, politicians, fruit, veg and cities."  
"Most of those are the usual categories."  
"I couldn't think of any." He admitted. "Pick a letter." Mikasa took out a magazine and closed her eyes, roaming her finger around the page before stopping and opening her eyes.

"S." She claimed. Jean set the timer on his phone to one minute.

"Go."

They scribbled away until the timer rang, before presenting their answers.

"You first." Mikasa offered.

"Football players," Jean read. "Suarez, Stephen Gerrard and Santos."  
"You can't have Stephen Gerrard." Mikasa said.

"Why not?"

"That's his first name. His surname begins with G."

"Oh whatever, what have you got then?"

"Shaw, Suarez, Santos, Kelly Smith and Stefano."

"Kelly?"

"Female footballer."  
"But-!" Jean stopped, noticing the dangerous look Mikasa was giving him. He decided not to say anything.

"Okay, okay. Spanish words. Siesta, salsa, sabado, senora."

"Siesta, salsa, sabado, senora, semaforo, serpiente, servicio, si, siento, siglo."

"Prove it." Jean challenged. Mikasa immediately displayed the sheet. "Jesus, Mikasa." She simply shrugged in response.

"You went to Spain for a week, but I actually listened in class."

"I thought I had one up on you there." Jean sighed, knowing that he was screwed for the other categories too.

Jean was beaten three times by Mikasa before he decided to call it a night. He got up to shower, whilst Mikasa flicked on the TV. She continued channel hopping, never able to settle down and watch anything for long. Her stomach was in knots. Tonight would be their first night sleeping alone in the same house. In the same room. In the same bed. There was no way that nothing was going to happen. She didn't know how she felt about that, but she was going to just go with the flow for now and try to act like the thoughts in her head were completely pure. After all, Jean might not want to... do anything. He might just consider this sleeping in the same bed.

Nah, there was no way.


	3. Third Week: Sinking Battleships

Third Week: Sinking Battleships

Levi found himself looking around for Mikasa from the moment he walked through the gym doorway. Scratch that, he was looking for her car as he entered the parking area. Sure enough, he spotted her cleaning some of the equipment in the far corner.

 _How can I get over there and make it casual?_

Levi began to run on the treadmill without looking in her direction as he contemplated how crazy he was. The gym, a place he used to love and cherish, had become no more than 'the place Mikasa works'. And now he was stalking her. Levi had begun going to the gym more often, yet he'd seen no improvement in his fitness, probably because his attention was always driven elsewhere. He didn't even know what fascinated him so much about the damn woman. He'd been enticed towards her like a bee to nectar, following her sweet scent in hopes of drinking in that delicious substance. And now? He was buzzing around her all the time, always trying to get close to her. He briefly wondered if she had noticed this.

Levi forced his concentration back into his running, trying to get into the fitness zone and feed himself the powerful thoughts he had always used in order to motivate himself. It only took a second for his concentration to be shattered when Mikasa walked past his machine. Levi was nearly thrown off the treadmill, but righted himself in time. He caught her eyes ready to greet her, but found she wasn't looking in his direction. She seemed out of it.

She seemed... depressed.

He immediately forgot all about his motivational monologues and followed her with his eyes, reading her movements avidly. He couldn't see her face any more, but her usual posture had drooped a little and she didn't seem to know where she was going. Eventually, she settled on wiping down one of the weight machines. Levi cast aside his earlier paranoia and decided to confront her face to face, whether he seemed like a persistent stalker or not. He didn't like her current behaviour. It felt wrong. Mikasa, who was like a battleship, usually had a backbone made of steel, sailing across the gym with ferocious intent and power. Now, she drifted between machines purposelessly and her spine was curved over.

The battleship was sinking.

"Mikasa," Levi said, standing over her form where she was knelt on the floor fixing one of the broken weight machines.

"Oh, Levi." She looked up and her expression confirmed Levi's suspicions. Mikasa was pale and withdrawn.

"Are you okay? You look ill." Mikasa's eyes diverted to the side and Levi noticed she was panting a little.

"Yeah," she huffed. "I'm fine."

"You're not at all." He frowned and offered her his hand to help her stand. She ignored his hand and stood up herself. Her eyes clouded over and she staggered to hold onto something. Levi quickly grabbed her until she was steady on her feet. "I'll take you home." He said in a voice that didn't allow for the word 'no'.

"No." Mikasa shook her head. "I just felt a little dizzy. It's nothing serious."

"Go home, Mikasa."

"Thanks for your concern, but I've only got a few hours left anyway."

"I'm going to talk to your manager."

"Levi!" She sighed. She seemed irritated but hadn't the energy to argue. Her voice had none of its usual power to it.

"Jesus, you're really in a bad way. Come on, I can't leave you here." He took her arm and led her towards the reception, informing the person behind the desk that she wasn't well enough to work today.

"My clients..." Mikasa muttered under her breath, clutching her stomach. She had resigned to let Levi lead her home, but she still had concerns.

"Screw your clients. It would have been a shit workout anyway. We're doing them a favour."

Levi reached his jet black audi and opened the passenger side, helping her in the seat as gently as he could. Mikasa lent against the headboard and closed her eyes. He walked around to the driver's seat and started the engine. Mikasa jolted and flung open the passenger door again, staggering out.

"Oi, Mikasa!"

"Urk-" Levi realised what she was doing and averted his eyes at the last second. Mikasa threw up into the bushes in front of Levi's car. He made his way slowly over to her and awkwardly rubbed circles in her back as she threw up. Part of him was disgusted that she was doing something like that so close to his shiny black vehicle, but the other part of him was interested to wonder what her reaction would be later. She had dented her precious pride and the sadistic element of Levi's brain was amused by that. Just a little. The rest of him was just filled with concern. Probably the more normal part of him.

"S-sorry..." She muttered, wiping her mouth.

"Feel better?" He asked. She nodded. Before he got back into the car, Levi retrieved a 'bag for life' from his boot and handed it to Mikasa in the passenger seat. "Use that if … you know."

"Thanks." She muttered again.


	4. He Gave You Uncertainties

He Gave You Uncertainties

"So..." Armin jostled Mikasa's shoulder as they walked down the college corridors. "You and Jean...?" With a warm face, Mikasa nodded.

"Un. We're dating now."

"Does Eren know? Speaking of which... where is he? Doesn't he usually walk with you?"

"I've not told him... He text to say he was going to be late. He overslept."

"Again?" Armin sighed. "I wonder what he'll think of you two."

"I'm not sure how much I like Jean..." Mikasa mumbled. Usually she wasn't one for talking about her own feelings, so Armin pursed his lips shut and listened. "And Jean knows that. He said he'd make me like him and I do think he's a nice person."

"That's a broad definition of nice." Armin raised an eyebrow in jest, but the smirk on his lips said that he knew what she meant. "Well, if he does anything to upset you... uhh..." He stopped mid-flow. "I'll always be on your side, but I don't think I'd be able to beat him up for you."

"Thanks, Armin."

"We'll let Eren do that."

"I think I'll be fine."

Mikasa and Armin entered the class room and sat down waiting for the tutorial period to begin. Five minutes after them, Eren collapsed through the door panting.  
"Just made it." He heaved.

"I'd have been here on time if it weren't for you." Jean stepped from behind him and sneered. His eyes rose up and locked onto Mikasa's. He looked away, a soft blush painting onto his cheeks, before he forced his eyes to wander back. She didn't look away, forcing a small smile towards him. The shade of red on his face deepened.

"Errrw, that's disgusting." Eren scowled, marching past over to his desk. He sat down in his seat, one arm thrown over the back. "You two should just date already." This ruffled Jean's feathers, and straight away he shot back-

"We are." There was a roar of jeers from others in the classroom who had heard. Mikasa lowered her eyes in embarrassment. Jean stalked over to her and stood by her desk like a guard dog.

"You're dating?!" Eren gasped. "Mikasa?!"

"I was going to tell you this morning..." She muttered, her voice barely audible.

"That's fucking gross. Look at you two. Stupid couple. Have you had your first kiss yet?"  
"Eren." Armin chided, but Eren ignored him.

"Of course." Jean spat back. Mikasa snapped her head up to look at him, eyes wide and confused. He didn't meet her gaze.

"Go on then. Kiss her. Right now." Someone else joined in, smiling broadly.

"Kiss her, kiss her." The class began chanting, one person at first, then a whole gang of lads banging the tables theatrically. Jean grabbed Mikasa's chin and directed it to look at him. He leant down and quickly took her lips, trying to force her into a kiss, moving clumsily to open her mouth. They clashed teeth in the frenzy. Mikasa drew back sharply and stood up in her chair. She was outraged, and clearly about to express her mind until the teacher opened the door and ordered everyone to take a seat. Jean paused for a second, catching Mikasa's glare and cowering under it in shame. He then took his seat at the other end of the room.

Mikasa felt her phone vibrate several times throughout the day and knew exactly who it was, but chose to ignore it. The way their relationship had started, it didn't seem like it was going to last long. And she wanted him to know that.


	5. Fourth Week: Dangerous Territory

Fourth Week: Heading Into Dangerous Territory

Levi arrived at the door to Mikasa's apartment. He stood momentarily, hand hovering over the buzzer. He paced back down the pathway a little to check the door number. Quickly, he checked the buttons on his shirt were matched up and adjusted the way his trousers sat on his hips. With a disgruntled sigh of irritation at his new-found apprehension, he made a decision to 'man the fuck up' and press the damn button. Before he could, however, the door sprung open and a hand dragged him inside.

"Oi-"

"Shuush!" Mikasa interrupted, yanking him by the shirt sleeve and then tossing him into a room. "Shut the fuck up for a minute." She closed the door behind her.

"Mikasa? What was that?" A voice called. It sounded like a young man and Levi frowned. He contemplated marching back out to demand what was her problem, but decided to stay hidden as she had ever so politely requested.

"Nothing. Are you off out now?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't do anything stupid, Eren. Bye bye." The man snorted in reply. Levi listened to the sound of footsteps leaving the apartment and the door clicked shut. After a pause, Mikasa re-entered with the guilty eyes of a puppy who'd done wrong. She found Levi sat on her bed with his legs and arms crossed, waiting expectantly. "That was my adopted brother, Eren. Well, I'm adopted. Not him."

"And he can't know that I'm taking you out tonight?"

"It'd just complicate things... Sorry. That's why I said not to come up to the door." Levi sat pensively. He decided to believe her and not ask any more questions.

"I didn't think I'd _start_ the date in your bed." He said, offhandedly.

"It's not a date," she chided, cheeks flushed. "It's me thanking you."

"What's with the blushing? Have you never dated before?"

"I have." She retorted defensively.

"Then let me take you out." Levi stood up and offered his hand to her. "Let's go. We have reservations."

"Reservations?! I thought you said we were just going to a pub or something cheap?!"

"I lied."

"Let me get changed then. Hang on." She pushed him out of the room hastily.

"What for?" He asked, indignantly. "You look fine."

"If we're going to a restaurant, I can't turn up in jeans."

"Why not? It doesn't matter, does it? Not that I'm complaining if you're going to wear that dress you showed me the other day."

"Pervert."

"We're dating so it's okay."

"We're not dating."

"Give up with the coy attitude. I like you, and you accepted my offer to take you out. This is a date."

"We aren't dating though."

"What's your problem with relationships? Did your last guy knock you up and run off with your pants on his head?" Mikasa didn't reply, and Levi figured he was heading into dangerous territory. A few minutes later, she walked out from her room in the same dress she had shown Levi on her phone a week ago. He allowed his eyes to roam from her eyes down to her toes and back up. She squirmed uncomfortably. It was a tight black dress that came to her knees. It completely covered up her chest area, but the entire back was open. Levi breathed in sharply as she turned her back on him to get her keys. "You know that model you showed me in the dress? She hasn't got half the back muscles you have."

"Stop it."

"I'm openly flirting because if I do anything subtle, you'll ignore me."

"Let's just go." Mikasa opened the front door and held it for him. He smiled a little at her as he passed. "What was that for?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

"I like you." He shrugged. "And you look good in that dress."

"You seem adept at flirting. Have you had practice?"

"I dated someone before you, but it didn't last long. She liked me more than I liked her. If you're asking if I flirt with every girl I meet, then the blunt answer is no. You're different."

"Do you still see that girl?"

"Yeah, we meet in her bedroom once a week." He remarked, dryly. "No, I don't. I haven't seen her in a while. What about your ex? Do you still see him?"

"Not on purpose, but occasionally I see him." Mikasa immediately closed up and kept her face turned in the other direction. Again, Levi felt like he was treading through a minefield but as much as he wanted to ask her about it, he didn't want to force her either.

They travelled in his car to the restaurant and headed inside. It was a pleasant night and soon, Mikasa found herself having a good time. Levi was good company and they seemed to be able to make conversation without thinking too hard. At the same time, long amounts of time would pass where neither of them said anything and neither really minded. Occasionally, Mikasa had to cover her mouth and put down her knife and fork because Levi could make her laugh like no-one else. She loved his habit of people watching, which he did without really realising. He was always overly alert about the behaviours of others and he'd comment his thoughts out-loud.

"Jeez, he wouldn't be able to stop a pig in an alleyway." He had snorted when a man walked past with a gait that looked as though he had left his horse outside.

"Why has she come dressed like a Christmas tree?" He remarked as a woman jangling with jewellery and wearing a sparkly sequin dress passed them.

Mikasa wondered if he was being more talkative than usual tonight, because it really seemed like it. He was making an effort to encourage conversation and there were less comfortable silences than in their normal meetings. She was impressed with his effort, and a small part of her considered going out with him for real. She quickly dismissed the idea. She couldn't. She simply could not.

Desert arrived and Mikasa picked up her spoon to dig in to the vanilla ice cream dish awaiting- her favourite. As she lowered her spoon, the stench of vanilla hit her nose and she began to feel nauseous.

"What's up?" Levi asked as she put down her spoon again. Mikasa braced up and tried once more to eat. As soon as it hit her tongue, her face screwed up almost like she was in pain. "Don't like it?"

"I do, I love vanilla ice cream... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. What's wrong?"

"I just feel a little ill, sorry."

"Again? Is it the sickness from last week?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Just leave it then. I have some vanilla ice cream at home. You can eat it some time when you're feeling better." He caught her eyeing up his chocolate fudge. "Unless you want to swap." The idea appealed to Mikasa greatly. She didn't understand why, but she was craving chocolate right now. Maybe it was her time of month. At her silence, Levi took her answer as a yes and swapped dishes, beginning to eat before she could say otherwise.

Mikasa finished her dessert and sat back happily in her cushioned chair. She looked up to see Levi just finishing too, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin. He caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. Levi lent forward over the table so that Mikasa could see straight down his open collared shirt to his chest. She quickly averted her gaze elsewhere, but he continued coming closer. His hand reached out and wiped her top lip with the cloth in his hand.

"There was chocolate on your lip still." He said, softly, his voice a whisper of autumn leaves. Mikasa parted her lips a little unconsciously and Levi paused his hand. He gazed purposefully into her eyes, searching for a response from her. She stared back, enchanted by his sharp cheekbones and slick jawline. "I didn't know you could look like that." He said, still remaining where he was.

"Like what?" she asked, still captivated by him.

"Seductive." Mikasa blinked quickly and moved backwards to force some distance between them. "Now what?" He sighed, sitting reluctantly back in his chair. "Did I go too far?"

"No, it's just... I can't"

"I think it's about time you told me what's holding you back. Are you already dating someone?"

"No." She shook her head vigorously.

"Is someone bothering you? Like an ex who is threatening you?"

"No. Look, stop asking."

"This isn't fair." His tone changed quickly into a forceful, argumentative growl. "I've bared with it and been patient, but you can't keep hiding something so important from me. You won't let me get close to you, but you won't tell me why. I like you and you know that. Either tell me to fuck off and I won't bother you again, or tell me why you won't even let me hold your hand."

"Levi..." Mikasa's voice cracked and Levi jarred when he saw tears rise in her eyes. He had never seen her cry. He had never expected her to cry. She looked like she would take on a bull in a ring if it stole her sandwich, yet _he_ had made _her_ cry.

And because of that shocking realisation, when Mikasa stood up and stuck a few notes to the table, he didn't stop her. When she picked up her bag and pushed her chair under the table, he didn't stop her. When she walked out of the restaurant with mascara running down one cheek, he didn't stop her.

Because he had clearly tried to force her to talk about a topic so painful that it made her break down, and _he_ had done that to her.


	6. He Made You Lose Trust

He Made You Lose Trust-

Mikasa entered her maths classroom and felt all eyes upon her. She realised immediately that she had been the centre of conversation just seconds before, and this made her uneasy. As she made her way to her seat, one of the guys whistled as she walked past. She shot him a glare. He grinned back, as though protected by the information he had on her.

"Nice night last night?" He asked, casually. She paused, before a blush crept onto her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Was it your first time?" That settled her uncertainties, but it definitely did not make her feel calm. She knew that they knew, and she knew the only person who could possibly have told them. And that knowledge hurt.

"What's it to do with you, fuck brain." She snorted, storming past his desk. As she sat down, the jeers continued.

"Apparently she screamed the house down." Another lad joined it, making mock noises as the others laughed. Mikasa clenched her fist, angrily.

"We know all about your kinky habits, too. Hey, if I gave you a fiver, will you meet me in the toilets?"

The laughter bellowed around the classroom and Mikasa was ready for throwing them out of the window. At the same time, she felt hurt and tears welled up in her eyes at the complete humiliation.

"Hey!" Sasha yelled over the noise. "Shut up, will you?"

"Come on, it's just a joke."

"You disgust me." Her voice trembled slightly. "At least she has a person to love. No one would ever love a disgusting little bunch of creeps like you."

"Ooooh~!" Someone jeered at her, but the threat had done its job and people soon quietened down. Mikasa glanced over at Sasha and mouthed a thank you to her. She was incredibly grateful, but it still hurt her so much that her chest felt tight.

Later on, she met up with Jean and angrily dragged him out of sight from other people.

"You _told_ people about last night." She spat, incredulously.

"What?" He stammered, getting nervous very quickly. "No! Well, yes. But I only told Reiner, I swear."

"Then how did my entire maths class find out?"

"I don't know, he must have told them." Jean raised his hands, trying to explain himself. Mikasa couldn't believe that a quiet, calm and reliable person like Reiner had told people that Mikasa and Jean had had sex for the first time last night. Yet, she didn't want to believe that the person who had been so loving and kind to her last night was so horrid and foul this morning. Also, she couldn't see a reason for Jean bragging about having sex with her. After all, Jean had been a little embarrassed after something on his end … went wrong … though Mikasa had convinced him that she didn't mind and she didn't think it was embarrassing at all. Why would he brag about an experience like that? She sighed, exhausted.

"I don't want any one to know. Not even Reiner."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Sorry."

"It was humiliating. It sounds like there's been some made up parts too."

"Like what?"

"Stupid things like I screamed."

"Well," Jean stalked closer to her, holding eye contact deliberately. "How about we make that part true too?" He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and tried to roughly kiss her, trying to passionately slam her against the wall and pushing his hand up under her shirt. She grabbed his hands and twisted them out from under her shirt, pushing him away violently.

"JEAN." She screamed. "Not now! Don't you have any idea how pissed off I am with you?!"

"Yeah, sorry, sorry." He muttered, sighing. She gritted her teeth and stormed off.

What was _wrong_ with him? Why had he changed so much from last night?!


	7. Sixth Week: Roses Made Of Iron

Sixth Week: Roses Made of Iron

Levi felt rather than saw her presence behind him, and immediately decided it was time to leave. He put down the weight in his hand and flexed his tired muscles. When he got to his feet and turned around, she was stood behind him with a sorrowful expression. It had been weeks since they had last spoke. They didn't talk at all and he had avoided her as much as possible in the gym. Yet now, here she was. He walked calmly past her without so much as a nod in her direction, making his way to the men's changing room. After he collected his things, his goal was to get out and leave without seeing her. Apparently, this wasn't what she was thinking. Mikasa was leant against the wall in front of Levi's car, waiting for him.

He came to a stop several meters away, eyeing her.

"What do you want?" he asked, reluctantly.

"I thought that would be obvious." she replied, smoothly. He scoffed.

"No, it isn't. I have no idea what you're thinking and when I tried to ask you, you stormed off. When I came to your house and I tried to apologise and promised not to ask you again, you slammed the door in my face. I don't have a fucking clue what goes through your head."

"That's why I'm here." She shrugged, as though that explained everything. Levi tossed his car key from hand to hand, impatiently. She noticed and decided to get to the point. "I came to apologise. I'm sorry for slamming the door in your face."

"Are you going to tell me what's up with you?"

"No." She replied, without hesitation.

"Will you ever?" He asked. She paused, face troubled.

"I suppose you'll find out eventually."

"But you won't tell me any time soon?"

"No."

Levi tapped his foot as she waited for his response. She fully expected him to tell her to get lost and drive off angrily. Instead, he came to a much less expected decision.

"All right. I understand. I'm sorry for asking and I might get pissed off again in the future, but I don't blame you for not saying anything." She blinked. "Are we just friends or can I...?"

"... Levi, I like you too. You're a nice guy and that's why I don't want you to get involved with me in that way. There is no happy ending for us."

"I don't believe in fairy tales."

"What I'm trying to say is that it won't do you any good to fall for me." Levi watched her quietly for a few moments. The sound of footsteps and car engines in the car park filled the silence between them as she waited for him to respond.

"Too late." He said, so softly that she barely heard it.

Later on, Mikasa was laid on the sofa with Eren watching a horror film, Armin curled up behind the sofa with his hands over his ears so that he couldn't hear the screams. Her phone buzzed beside her and she half-heartedly cast her eyes to the screen to read it. Her eyes widened a little when she read that Levi had text her. It was the first time he had text her without reason since had asked for her number four weeks ago. She quickly picked up her phone and opened the screen, the brightness causing her to squint.

 _Levi-_

 _Are you free tomorrow?_

She replied straight away- _Yes, why_

 _Levi-_

 _You aren't any more_

Mikasa allowed herself a small smile.

"What are you grinning at?" Eren asked, suspiciously. "You don't usually text people. Who is it?"

"No, I was just on the internet and read something funny." She lied.

"Show me." He said, scrambling across the sofa to grab her phone. He managed to tease it from her hand before she could protest.

"Hey! Eren-" He ignored her and glanced at the text message.

"You lied!" he exclaimed, dumbstruck. "Who's this? Mikasa, do you have a boyfriend?!" At this point, Armin was peering back over the sofa.

"H-he's not my boyfriend!"

"You're meeting him tomorrow?"

"No! Uh, Yes. But we aren't dating."

"It wasn't long ago that you and Jean broke up." Armin noted.

"It's not like that."

"Why haven't you told me about him? Is there something about him? Is he a dick head?"

"Levi isn't like that." She snapped defensively. Eren gaped at her.

"I want to meet him."

"Eren!" Mikasa's hands grasped for her phone as Eren began to call Levi's number.

" _Mikasa?"_

"This is her brother, Eren. What are you to my sister?"

" _What do you want, brat?"_

"I want to meet you. Tomorrow."

" _I'm meeting your sister tomorrow. Book another appointment."_

"Jackass." Eren cursed, grimacing into the phone. "Mikasa can't date anyone without my permission. You probably know about the last guy."

" _Actually, no I-"_

"Eren!" Mikasa finally retrieved her phone, scowling at her brother. "Levi? Are you there?"

" _I'm here."_

"Ignore him. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

" _... All right. I'll leave the brat to you."_

"Don't worry, I'll sort it. See you."

"This guy better have roses flying out of his ass tomorrow if he wants to impress me." Eren huffed, deciding he didn't like the guy regardless of what happened when they met.

 _He does._ Mikasa thought to herself. _If roses are made of iron._


	8. He Made It Hard To Forget

He Made It Hard to Forget

"Hi," Jean waved sheepishly as Mikasa exited the gym doors at the end of her shift. "I came to pick you up."

"Pick me up?"

"Well, I don't have a car... but I came to walk you home. You know. On the bus. It's not really walking." His stuttering eventually came to a stop when Mikasa cast him a broad smile, one that she rarely showed. Jean's eyes glinted with happiness when he saw her smile. He held out his hand for her to hold, and she gratefully took it.

"It has nearly been three months." Jean sighed contentedly a few minutes into their walk. He had offered to carry her bag, but Mikasa had politely refused.

"So it has."

"And so, to celebrate..." He reached into his pocket and riffled around for something. "I got you this." He handed a small box across to her, whilst looking in the other direction with a red tinge to his cheeks. Mikasa took it wordlessly and let go of his hand for a second to open it. She fiddled with the box until it opened to reveal a silver necklace carrying a red gem. Mikasa took it between her fingers gingerly and lifted it from the box to get a better look.

"It's the same colour as that scarf you always wear, not that I don't want you to wear the scarf, but you can wear this too. Or instead of. Whichever you want. Or I can take it back if you don't want it."

"Jean." She quickly stopped his mindless gibbering. "I like it."

"Really? You don't have to be polite if you don't like it-"

"It's gorgeous. Thank you."

"So... you know, for the other day..."

"You're not forgiven." Mikasa shut the box and slipped it into her bag. Jean lowered his gaze, guiltily. "But I can forget it." He raised his eyes cautiously to meet hers, and she let a small smile cross her face.

"That's enough for me." He laughed, reaching for her hand again. She slipped her fingers between his and he gripped them tightly. Mikasa slowed her walk to a stop and pulled him towards her. He leaned down over her and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. They hugged briefly, before continuing their stroll home.

Once they were at Jean's house, he cleared the side and began making her a drink.

"Here," He passed her the mug and she thanked him with a nod. "Listen..." He muttered, sitting beside her on the sofa and leaning towards her. "My parent's are away..." He took the cup from her hands again and placed it on the table. "We should move this to the bedroom, yeah?" Mikasa jolted, but didn't turn away when he kissed her.

He kissed her softly, sucking gently on her lips and bringing his hands up to her waist. She kissed him back for a while, but drew back when his hands ventured into her shorts.

"Not tonight." She whispered quietly.

"Why not? You were fine with it the other week."

"I don't feel like it tonight."

"You just need to get into it a little." He ignored her and ran his hand under her shorts.

"Jean!" She squirmed. "I don't feel like it tonight."

"What? Is it your time of the month? Then how about this..." He grabbed her wrists and forced them onto his crotch. He grunted and began to kiss her neck.

"Stop!" Mikasa yelled, using all her strength to push her off him. In a second, Jean was thrown to the floor wincing. She stood up, irritated and scowled down at him. "I said, not tonight."

"Jesus! What the hell's the matter?! After I spent all that money on you, too!"

"Jean!" She nearly screamed, throwing the cushion from the sofa into his face with an _umph._ "Argh!"

With a yell of frustration, Mikasa gathered her things and left as soon as she could.

 **AN- Thanks for those who have reviewed! The chapters in this story are really short (but hopefully not too short) which makes it really easy for me to update regularly. Unlike my other story... sigh, I better get back to it...**

 **And I'm curious... any early guesses as to why Mikasa is holding back?**


	9. Seventh Week: To Your Posts

Week Seven: To Your Posts

"Are you going out to see Levi?" Eren asked eagerly, practically bouncing up and down like a puppy with eyes wide and excited.

"Uh, yeah..." Mikasa wrapped her scarf around her neck, picking up her leather bag from the side and slipping her phone into it.

"We've got that new film on DVD. Ask him if he wants to come over and watch it some time."

"Levi doesn't like films." Mikasa clicked the front door handle down.

"Well he can come over any time he likes. Make sure to tell him."

"I will..." She nodded, quickly leaving so she could get away from Eren's persistent talking.

Ever since he had met with Levi, he had taken an immediate liking to him. To Eren, Levi was some sort of strong, cool role model, despite cursing and arguing with him for the first five minutes. Mikasa wasn't sure what had happened, but once Eren had started asking Levi questions, he had become more and more intrigued. Now he wouldn't stop asking about him. Eren said that he just 'gave off a powerful aura'. It was safe to say that Eren approved greatly.

Levi's car was waiting where it always did and Mikasa opened the door so she could slip into the passenger seat. As she did so, she felt a twinge in her stomach.

"I would pick you up from your front door, but that creepy little brother of yours..."

"He hasn't liked someone _this_ much in a while. Not since that blond history professor at our college. Oh, and he says you're free to come over whenever." Levi sniffed, dissatisfied. As he pulled away form the kerb, he noticed Mikasa holding her stomach.

"What's up?" He asked. Mikasa didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"... My stomach hurts a little."

"Want to go back?"

"No, I'm okay."

They sat in silence, watching the world go by past their window. They travelled from busy streets into country roads, where grey became green and the sound of beeping horns was replaced by silence. The road opened out into one winding road surrounded by nothing but heather coated hillsides. The tarmac twisted up and down and out of sight.

"You've put weight on." Levi mused. Mikasa shot him a glare, but realised that he didn't mean that as an insult. "Have you been working less? Or is it all these meals I've taken you out for?"

"I've had to lower my hours at work..." She began. Levi waited for her to explain, until he realised that she was intending to leave the conversation there.

"Why?"

"I just have."

"Is this one of those things where I'll never know?"

"Probably."

"Stubborn bitch." He clicked his tongue but said no more. "Does Eren know?"

"No."

"Does any body know?"

"... No."

"What was that pause for? Does someone actually know?"

"There's someone... who may know... but then again, he's an idiot."

"Makes sense." Levi remarked dryly.

"So where are we heading?" She asked suddenly. Levi scowled at her to let her know that he wasn't happy that she was changing the subject, but he let her regardless.

"Somewhere down here there's a pub and a car park. There's a nice walk through the hills that loops back to the pub."

"We've been eating out a hell of a lot."

"It's the only dates I can get you to go on. I hate films and shopping. You hate-"

He stopped mid-sentence as Mikasa grunted in pain. She bent over in her seat, grasping at the fabric of her t-shirt over her stomach. Levi searched for a place to stop down the road and cursed. The wouldn't be a lay-by for a while yet.

"Mikasa," He said, softly. "We should go back."

"It's just cramps." She grunted. Levi sighed heavily, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Mikasa, you're not in any state to be forcing yourself to make conversation. Let's just go back."

"It'll wear off soon."

"We can come out another day."

"Levi!" Mikasa snapped at him. He jumped in surprise. "Just shut up!" He did so, eyes widening a little in surprise. For the next ten minutes, he cast curious glances at her. He wondered about her sudden mood swing. It seemed she didn't want to speak until she had calmed down, sitting with her arms folded facing the other way. She didn't seem angry with him. He hadn't done anything wrong, she just wasn't in a good mood. He left her to sort her emotions out alone.

They arrived at their destination before she had done so properly, and it was fifteen minutes into their walk when she decided to speak.

"You look good in polo shirts." She noted, finally looking at him.

"I look better without." He shrugged. Mikasa sniggered and Levi knew she was okay again.


	10. He Trapped You

He Trapped You

Rumours had multiplied like bacteria since Jean and Mikasa had started dating. Mikasa would agree that they weren't the most ordinary pairing: she was the quiet one that no one really knew anything about; he was the extroverted loud mouth with friends in every class. She didn't usually care about rumours, but after over hearing a group of girls discussing their relationship earlier, she was becoming increasingly bothered.

"I wonder if she's got some dirt on him."  
"Maybe she's forcing him?"

"Remember when she threatened that teacher? She's violent. She's definitely forcing him."

"Jean's quite popular. It seems strange that he'd date a girl no one really knows or talks to."

"I thought she went out with that other loud guy?"  
"The one who fell on his face in gym practice?"

"Yeah, him."  
"I thought so too, but apparently they're related."

"Really? That's kind of disgusting..."

Mikasa hoped the girls wouldn't notice her as they left the classroom, trying to blend into the hustle of other students grabbing their coats and bags to leave. Once she couldn't see them, she breathed a small sigh of relief and collected her own things. As she made her way to the door, Jean appeared and cast her a small smile. She waved back.

"Tonight I'm staying behind to help the cricket club, so I can't walk home with you. One of their members is ill and they've got an important match coming up."

"I didn't know you could play cricket?"

"Well..." He squirmed uncomfortably. "I played a little in high school."  
"I'll wait for you." Mikasa said. "I've got some maths work to do, so I'll sit next to the playing field and wait."  
"You really don't have to." Jean seemed like he was begging her not to. Mikasa smirked a little and coyly replied,

"No, I _really_ want to see you play..."

"You know, you can be kind of cruel sometimes." Jean sighed. He didn't argue any further though. "Just to clarify, when I said they were desperate... they were _really_ desperate."

"Is that so?" Mikasa giggled to herself.

She was actually quite surprised, watching Jean play. He wasn't all that bad. Of course, he wasn't as good at the regulars like Reiner on the team, but he was still managing to keep up. He was racking up a few points for the team. Mikasa had long since finished her maths work and now sat on the grass at the edge of the sports field, shivering a little in the cold breeze. All of a sudden, she heard footsteps behind her and a warm coat was laid over her shoulder. She turned her head and tucked her hair behind her ear so that she could see who it was. Eren was stood in just a t-shirt, having removed his coat to give to Mikasa. She could feel the warmth of his body heat still lingering on the material.

"He's making you sit out in this temperature? What a jerk." Eren muttered.  
"What are you doing here this late?"

"I had detention because they figured out I had copied Armin's homework... again."  
"That's because you copy it word for word. Of course they can tell."

"That's because I don't understand it." Eren gritted his teeth. "How am I supposed to reword it when I can't understand it anyway?!"

"Show it me later. I'll go over it with you."

"Don't bother, I can figure it out." Eren scowled stubbornly and shoved his hands in his pockets.

All of a sudden, the noise on the pitch increased with shouts. Mikasa looked over to see what was going on, and spotted Jean on his knees with both hands on his face, the bat he had been using discarded at his side. Eren began laughing hysterically.  
"He got hit in the face!"

Mikasa jumped to her feet and ran over, Eren's snorts of laughter fading and Jean's grunts of pain getting louder.

"Shit, SHIT." He swore.

"You're suppose to hit it with the bat, not your face." One of the fielders who had come over to help said (unhelpfully) between his fits of giggles. Jean swore profusely at him.

"Are you okay, Jean?" Mikasa asked, crouching down beside him. She prised his fingers away from his eyes. There was a red swelling already appearing on his cheek.

"The ball deflected off the bat and hit him in the face." Reiner said.

"It's a good job it did, to be honest." Berthold said. "Reiner has sent people to hospital with his bowls. If it had hit him straight and not hit the bat, he'd be hurting a hell of a lot more."

"That's why you're supposed to use the bat." The guy who was in fits of laughter (much like Eren) said.

"I'll take him home and get it fixed up." Mikasa said, lifting him to his feet and pulling him off the field.

"We'll leave it to you, Mikasa!"

Once Mikasa had got Jean home, she set about putting an ice pack under his eye and telling him to hold it on. She had received multiple text messages from people asking about Jean, one asking for a photo (Eren). She hastily replied to them and returned to Jean once more, who was pouting furiously.

"It's fucking cold." He complained.

"Can you see out of that eye?"

"Yeah, it just hurts."

"Keep the ice pack on. It'll reduce the swelling."

"The ice pack hurts the most."

"Keep it on."

Jean followed Mikasa with his eyes as she set up the TV to distract him, allowing his gaze to wander a little. She caught him doing so and looked away quickly.

"You're not wearing that necklace." He muttered.

"I didn't want to break it." She said, bending over to switch the plug on.

"That's a lie, you're still pissed off with me."

"I'm not angry any more."

"Well..." He leant forward in his chair and waiting until she turned her head to look at him. "Are you in the mood today?"

"Jean." She scolded, grabbing the remote and flicking through channels.

"Mikasa, you're not normal if you don't want to do that type of thing. Are you frigid? Is that it?"

"Jean, give it up."

"... Pass me the remote." Jean demanded. Mikasa threw it to him in relief at the subject change, sinking down on the sofa beside him. He flicked through pages and pages of channels. "You need something to get you in the mood? Is that it? Will this do you?" He selected a channel that Mikasa hadn't even known existed and she was likely to never watch again.

"Jean, turn it off." She averted her eyes, trying not to hear the sounds from the TV. "Isn't your mum coming home soon?"

"'Kasa..." He sighed. "Why don't you want to? Are you scared, is that it?"

"I'm going home." Mikasa stood abruptly and gathered her things. She held onto her phone in one hand... because something inside her was telling her that she needed to. Jean also stood up, following her.

"We're back to this again. Always doing the stuff you want and nothing that I want."

"We'll talk tomorrow." She hissed under her breath, heart beginning to pound in her chest. She fumbled for the living room door but he got there before her.

"Just try it, 'kasa... you'll enjoy it, I promise. Or do you prefer it when I take control?" Suddenly, her back was against the door and her wrists firmly in his grasp. Mikasa froze, but only for a second. Then, without holding back, she ripped her hands from his grip and punched him as hard as she could just below the diaphragm. Once he was on the floor gasping for breath, she ran.

The next day, she dreaded meeting him. He hadn't text her, and she wasn't about to message him either. She was drowning in a mess of emotions. Had she taken it too far? Was it really weird that she didn't want to do _that_ stuff with him? They were dating, after all. But then, she was really irritated- really upset. Why was he acting that way with her.

"Mikasa!" A voice called. She stopped walking as Armin caught up.

"I've been * hah * shouting for * haa * ages.." Armin panted, hands on knees. "Are you okay?"  
"Just a bit... distracted."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm okay Armin. But thanks."

They chatted away normally as they entered the college gates and made their way for their first class. Mikasa's nerves had eased a little now that her friend was beside her. It didn't take long for the effect to wear off though.

It seemed like the girls stood outside the classroom were looking at her. She made eye contact with one of them, who immediately glanced away. Another lowered her brow, frowning in disdain. Armin had even picked up on the animosity and made an effort to close the gap between them, protecting Mikasa in his own way. They entered the classroom together and one group at the other end of the room fell silent. Jean was at the centre of this group. Mikasa felt like turning back and going home, but Armin softly pulled on her jacket sleeve and lead her to her seat just behind where the group had gathered.

"She's got a right punch on her, the bitch." One girl in the group grunted viciously, gesturing to Jean's cheek. "If I were you, I'd get rid of her." Jean laughed awkwardly as a weight in Mikasa's stomach dropped. She felt sick. Had he possibly told them... No, he wasn't _that_ horrible.

"She's a violent cow. Show us that mark again. The one where she hit you on your rib."  
"That's just domestic abuse. You should get the police involved." Mikasa stood so quickly that her chair fell from underneath her, clattering to the floor. They turned in surprise.

"What, is she going to hit us too?" One of them mumbled, smirking. Mikasa was gasping for breath as a surge of rage and upset crashed into her.

He had. He _had_ done it.

"J-Jean?!" She exclaimed, shocked.

"Mikasa, come outside for a minute..." Armin whispered in her ear.

"What's up?" Jean asked, a nervous edge to his bravado. "I only told them the truth. You hit me, didn't you?"

"T-that's! You were injured playing cricket!" She couldn't find the words to express her hurt and anger and confusion.

"And that's how I got this bruise, yeah?" Jean stood up and lifted his shirt. There was a bruise on his lower rib where she _had_ punched him. She couldn't speak. Her face flushed red and her eyes began to burn. "They asked me what happened." He shrugged.

"I can't believe you-..."

"I only told the truth. It's not like I want to break up with you, though. You're not usually that type of girl, I know that."

"Jesus, you're too nice Jean. I'd ditch her if I were you."

"Mikasa!" Armin spoke louder this time, one again grabbing her sleeve but this time to drag her out of there.

Mikasa found that her fingers were trembling and a rush of adrenaline had set her heart racing. Armin led her outside for fresh air and text Eren to come as soon as he could.

"Are you going to break up with him, Mikasa?"

"... I don't know."

"Did you... hit him?"

"Yeah..."

"Can I ask why?"

"..."

"In fact, you don't need to tell me. Because I trust you, Mikasa. And so does Eren." Mikasa finally raised her eyes to meet Armin's worried gaze. She calmed significantly. Taking a deep breath, she came to a decision.

"I'll talk to him about it."

 **AN:**

 **Long time no see... heheh... (sorry)**

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!**


	11. Eighth Week: D-1

Eighth Week: D-1

Snow fell in the silent landscape in the park where Mikasa waited for Levi to arrive. It was a few days before Christmas and Levi had text Mikasa just hours before with simply the words _meet me near the fountain in an hour._ It was very Levi-esque to do so. No explanation, just a request that he trusted completely that she would follow. Mikasa wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't checked his phone after sending that message. He'd probably just turn up, regardless. She'd had to wrap the gift she'd bought him quickly and run to buy him a card.

 _Damn him and his arrogance._

She watched flakes melt into the sodden grass, disappearing into the soil. With a shiver, she pulled up the scarf around her neck to cover her red nose. For a second, her hands smoothed over her stomach carefully. Her mind cast back and she squeezed her eyes shut to block out the thoughts pushing against the little box she had concealed them in. What _the hell_ was she going to do? It was a question she had asked herself over and over, keeping herself awake every night for weeks. Perhaps more importantly, when was she going to tell him?

"Weather's shit." A voice appeared and she noticed Levi sit down on the bench beside her.

"Nice to see your optimism, as always."

"It's not even pretty. It's just slush. The ground's soggy and everything gets filthy. My boots need polishing again." He lifted one foot to gesture to his muddy boots.

"You're full of Christmas cheer I see."

"I don't believe you buy into that shit either. But anyway, let's get it over with. You first." Mikasa scoffed in disbelief.

"You're awfully confident." She folded her arms- quite a task, considering the amount of layers she was wearing.

"There's a bulge in your pocket. Or are you just pleased to see me?"

"It could be my phone."

"You always keep your phone in your right hand pocket." He countered, calmly.

"Aren't we the observant one? I _have_ got you a present. But unfortunately, Santa doesn't give presents to naughty children." Without a second thought, Levi grasped her jawline in one hand and kissed her. After a second, he pulled away and Mikasa sighed heavily. "Fine." She wriggled her hand into her pocket and withdrew a small box. Levi took it from her fingers gently and turned it around. He prised one nail under the wrapping and opened it carefully. Mikasa watched out of the corner of her eye, feigning disinterest. Opening the lid, Levi revealed an expensive looking silver watch with all the gears naked within the glass. Levi unhooked it and wound up the skeleton gears with the knob on the side. He released it and watched the cogs begin to click round, the second hand smoothly floating round the clock. Finally he turned to Mikasa, leaning forward to take her lips once more.

"I was wrong. You _are_ full of Christmas spirit." A small grin teased at the corner of her mouth and Levi softly ruffled her hair.

"My turn." He announced, standing up and stepping in front of her. Mikasa's grin faded and she watched, silently. He reached into the pocket of his coat and took out a key. He span it once around his finger before presenting it to her. "Move in with me." He said softly in the quiet landscape, awaiting her reply with a gentle expression.

Mikasa's eyes widened slightly. By instinct, she took the key from his finger and examined it as though she'd find the answer to her questions inscribed on the tiny surface. There was something written there- _Mi Casa._

And Mikasa found herself laughing out loud, tears pricking her eyes, gasping for air between her giggles. The tears ran down her face and she looked up to see Levi smiling softly at her and in that moment, Mikasa decided to stop running away.

She loved this man. She could no longer push him away for fear of being abandoned. She had already fallen to deep to prevent herself becoming attached to him. She was already glued to the bastard and his harsh way of speaking, his constant frown, his standoff-ish stubbornness and his lame, _lame_ jokes.

"What do you say, then?" Levi removed the glove from one hand to offer it to her. Without a second thought, she did the same, taking his hand and saying-

"Take me home, Levi." He smiled, relief evident in his expression.

"To tu casa?" Mikasa whacked him lightly on the arm.

"Yes," she wiped the tears from her face and stood up beside him. "To mi casa."

…

Levi had dressed the apartment up in tinsel, snowflakes stuck to the window and little Santas hung from every door handle.

"Where did you get all this from?"

"Hanji leant them me."

"Thought so. So, where do I sleep?"

"Well..." Levi began. "There's two options." Mikasa rose a sceptical eyebrow. He opened a door and gestured to what looked like a spare bedroom. "You can sleep here..." He stalked closer to her and slid both hands around her waist. She knew what was coming and allowed him to kiss her, the third time today. As he did so, he turned his head and pushed her mouth open whilst pulling her over to another door. He opened it behind him, fumbling with one hand without parting himself from her lips. Once the door was open, he bent a little and picked Mikasa up so that both legs straddled his waist. He moved to the bed and kicked the door shut with one foot. He placed her down on the sheets and finally drew back. "Or you can sleep here."

It was obvious by now to Mikasa which one she wanted.


	12. Eighth Week: D-day

Levi woke to the sound of retching beside him. He frowned, eyes scrunched up in the darkness as a figure got to their feet and raced for the bedroom door. He swung his legs out of bed to follow, banging into the wall as he made his way out of the room, head spinning. He followed the sound by memory more than anything, still trying to prise open his tired eyes. He eventually came to the bathroom and rubbed at his eye balls until he could focus on Mikasa. She was leant over the toilet, throwing up into it.

 _Morning sickness._ He thought, then stopped. Morning sickness?

Levi shook the thoughts from his head and ignored the pain in his chest, grasping a hair tie from the bathroom cupboard and softly pinning back her hair as she vomited. He rubbed her back soothingly once he was done and she heaved and coughed.

 _Morning sickness?_ The thought stuck him again. He couldn't pass it from his mind. _No, wait. It's not that fast._

"You alright?" He mumbled, gently stroking her down her spine. She nodded, the episode coming to an end. He stood to make her a glass of water.

But he couldn't shake those words from his head. It wasn't just this morning that one word had been flashing in big red lights in his head, warning sounds blaring. The stomach cramps, the mood swings, the secrets...

He handed her the glass and she thanked him, sheepishly.

"Mikasa..." He began, wearily. As the cogs in his head began to slot into place, he felt nauseous himself. Mikasa soon caught onto his tone of voice.

"What?..."

"I want you to be honest with me..." Immediately, she pursed her lips closed. Levi turned away and rubbed his neck, agitated. "Are you..." The silence dragged. Neither looked to the other, and the longer that time ticked on for, the heavier Levi's legs felt beneath him.  
"Levi... I'm pregnant." Mikasa finally said flatly, though her face was desperate; sorrowful; apologetic. "With the child of my ex-boyfriend, Jean... I didn't c-consent." She continued to talk, as though purging all the secrets she'd been keeping to herself. The time was now- Levi needed to know everything. She had planned to reveal this information to him at a better time than this, but what the hell did it matter now.

He was going to leave her anyway.

The colour drained like water from Levi's face. Shock smacked him in the stomach. He had decided that he wanted to be with this woman forever, no matter what. He hadn't expected there to be a buy one get one free. He swallowed and leant against the door frame, running a hand through his hair. Usually, he would have hated getting grease in his hair. Usually, it would have driven him mad to have his bangs messed up and out of place. His head hurt with the pain of one hundred emotions running through it in an instant. He couldn't think straight. This changed everything. Rage tore through him- pure, animalistic rage. _The bastard, how dare that bastard._ Within a second, the anger melted away into despair. _Why didn't she tell me?_ _Why did this have to happen?_

He stood up and paced the room as Mikasa watched, her stomach in knots. He stormed from one end of the room to the other.

This changed everything. This changed _everything_.

He needed time. He needed to think this through. _Think what through? You're not leaving her alone, are you?_ But he couldn't see himself as a father. He had never even met his. What was he supposed to do? Play happy families with someone else's kid?! His fist slammed into the tiled wall and there was an unhealthy _crack._

 _But you love her. She didn't want this either. You can't leave her._

"I'll call you." He finally announced," voice cracking, walking out of the door without a backwards glance. His heavy footsteps pounded down the hall to the front door.

"Please," Mikasa whispered as the door swung shut. "Please do."

 **AN- Disrupting the flow a little but next chapter will be the flashback that reveals all. ENJOY AND DONT FORGET TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**


	13. What He Did To You

What He Did To You

Through the storm, she ran. She ran as hard as she could, breath hitching, bare feet skidding across the pavement. Painful sobs escaped her lips as she gasped for air, cold rain hitting her face, streaming down her neck. Her t-shirt was drenched through so that her underwear was showing. Her jacket was left behind in a place she would never return to.

Never.

Her chest ached; her head rang. Her skin was like ice as she fumbled through the bag she had hastily grabbed to search for her phone. She dialled Eren's number, not knowing what she even wanted to say to him. When he answered, her words fell out of her mouth in a blur of nonsense.

"Eren! Eren! I...! It was a mistake! I've made a mistake! Oh God, Eren-"

"Jesus, Mikasa, where are you? Are you okay?!"

"Come get me, please," she sobbed incoherently down the phone. "Eren, what do I do...?"

"Calm down, talk to me. Where are you?"

"Opposite Barley's restaurant."

"Are you outside? In this weather?! Get into a shop. I'm on my way."

"Don't hang up!" Mikasa cried desperately.

"Shuush, Mikasa... I'm not going to."

"I don't know... what have I done?"

She collapsed onto the street, hugging her knees, waiting for Eren to come. He talked soothingly and sometimes violently down the phone as he sprinted to where she was.

"What has he done to you?! That bastard- Do you have a coat? Get inside, Mikasa. You'll freeze. That bastard, I swear I'll- Don't worry, Mikasa, it's not your fault. You've done nothing wrong. It's my fault. I should have known. I should have protected you..."

She said nothing more to him, shivering in the rain, waiting. Waiting. Strangers passed by, eyeing up her pathetic figure on the floor, clutching her mobile desperately. No one stopped to help. Eventually, Eren's figure dashed over to her, skidding to a stop before her and quickly wrapping a thick winter coat around her shoulders. He paused, painfully absorbing her expression.

"Jesus, Mikasa." He whispered, pulling her into a tight hug. She shivered in his arms, muffled sobs dying away.

She didn't let go of him as he quickly led her home, not that he would have let her. Once they arrived, he turned on the heating and sat her on the sofa, burrowed under layers and layers of fleeces and blankets. He made her a hot chocolate and kissed her softly on the forehead. She had calmed down considerably. A knock at the door made her jump.

"It's only Armin." Eren comforted her, leaving her to invite him inside. Armin immediately enveloped Mikasa in a hug. "I'm going out. I'll be back soon." Mikasa wriggled out of Armin's hug and saw that Eren was putting on his coat. His eyes were dark and aggressive.

"Where are you going?" She asked in a small voice.

"For a walk." He replied, cracking the knuckles in the fingers of one hand.


	14. Ninth Week: Lay Down Your Arms

_Ninth Week: Lay Down Your Arms_

"Your phone's ringing." Eren appeared at the door to Mikasa's room, throwing her the device. She caught it lethargically and cast it aside. "What's up? Not going to answer it?" He frowned. She was curled up under the duvet despite the fact that clock beside her was flashing numbers that screamed 'get up'. It was unlike her to stay in bed this long. "It was Levi calling. Are you sure it's okay to leave it?"

In a flash, Mikasa had shed the duvet and pounced onto her phone, barely managing to accept the call before it hung up. Eren smiled to himself and left her in privacy, closing the door behind him as he left.

"H-hello?" Mikasa said. She was met with silence, but the sound of soft drumming from the other side informed her that he was listening. "I- I... didn't mean to lie. I was planning to tell you it's just... so hard..."

"Stop it." He cut her off. "I..." He sighed heavily and Mikasa prepared herself for the worst. "I understand you. I understand why you didn't tell me. I don't blame you."

Mikasa waited for him to finish speaking. She knew he needed to get his thoughts across without interruption, but the wordless buzz echoing over the line seemed to drag on and on.

"I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but there's one thing I do know. I won't leave you. I'll help you. I don't know what with, I mean, it's not like I can pull it out of your womb or anything but... jeez I don't fucking know... I'll help you buy its clothes and I'll paint its room and – you can use the apartment. I'll come by occasionally... If you need any money or..." He trailed off and there was a pause as he calmed himself again. "Mikasa, you're not alone. I just... need more time."

"I know." She whispered.

"I don't know how much time."

"It's okay."

"I don't know what I want."

"That's fine."

"I'll... call you again."

"I'll wait."

"... Goodbye, Mikasa."

"Bye, Levi."

It was a short conversation but Mikasa was feeling fulfilled. She was the happiest she had been in nine weeks, all in the space of two minutes. She didn't feel alone any more, and there was one more thing she knew she needed to do.

Tell Eren.

And she knew he would probably take it worse than Levi.

…

Mikasa and Levi had taken to calling each other regularly, though they still hadn't met since the incident. He had phoned her the morning of her first doctors appointment and then again just after she'd left. As her stomach gently inflated in size, so did the pressure she felt looming over her and Levi soon became the lifeline that she clung desperately onto when she felt like giving into the world. He had helped her the most with revealing the truth to Eren, who had gone ballistic within half a second of finding out. Eyes reflecting raging seas, he stormed out of the apartment ready to kill. When Mikasa had explained the situation over the phone to him, Levi had met up with the violent teenager and talked it through with him. Eren returned that evening still devastated but a wave of calmness seemed to have drowned out the aggression in him. Though Levi still wouldn't come and see her.

"What do you think about... getting rid of it?" Levi had asked one morning as Mikasa was munching on a bowl of fruit in front of a pile of ten books Eren had bought her on pregnancy and children (it was becoming clear that Eren was twenty times more stressed and nervous than Mikasa).

"I... can't. I couldn't."

"I see..."

"In my head, it's already a life... I don't want a child- I'm not ready. I didn't think I'd ever have one but still, to throw away my own child, I just-"

"Well, there's no pressure either way." Levi interrupted. "You still have a few weeks to decide something like that."

"Do _you_ want me to get rid of it?" She asked in a hushed voice. Eren was asleep and dead to the world but she still felt nervous about discussing something like this out loud. Levi was silent for a few seconds and the gentle sound of tea being stirred had ceased. An answer like this shouldn't come immediately.

Listening to Mikasa, he had been wondering if the reason she wouldn't have an abortion had anything to do with growing up without her own parents. She had been adopted into Eren's family after hers were involved in an accident. He didn't know how, but he felt that somehow, that had affected how she was. Instead of growing up to be a weak and bratty teen, she was placid and strong. Subsequently, Levi couldn't help but wonder what he would do in her situation. If he was a woman, what would he do? Because he was the same as her. He had lost his mother - God knows who his father was – and then been taken in by his uncle. His uncle had then up and left him too, and he didn't have even an inkling of an idea where that man was now. In reality, Levi found that he couldn't decide what he'd do. He didn't know. Even though he was the same as Mikasa, he didn't know yet she did.

So he thought about it another way. If he were to stay with this woman for the rest of his life, could he deal with becoming a father to someone else's kid? And if not, could he live with the knowledge that he had persuaded Mikasa to kill her future to make a new one with him? The knowledge that some poor kid hadn't had the chance to see his first snow, to stand up in the school play, to play house with his mother and dream of becoming an astronaut...

Thinking about that, Levi came to his decision.

"Have it and I'll stay with you and with him or her. Don't have it and I'll still stay with you. I'm sorry for making you wait, Mikasa. I've made my decision. I'm coming over now."

 **AN-**

 **Ill just reply to a few things here.**

 **One- the flashbacks are confusing.**

 **Okay sorry about that, the chapter names were supposed to indicate that. If its proceeded by a first week, second week sort of thing, it's in the present. If it's along the lines of He did this, He did that, its a past chapter. I suppose if you didn't pay attention to that it would have been very confusing- sorry! Though there wont be as many flashbacks any more.**

 **Two- is it too late for an abortion**

 **Hopefully this chapter resolves that for you. It's about 24 weeks that most abortions are done by. I didn't put that in earlier because it was all hush hush. Now its out in the open they can discuss that type of thing.**

 **Thanks for all who have reviewed! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far and sorry for not being a regular updater. Though, feel sorry for people who read my other story CKUT because I keep updating this instead of that hahaha... because the ending to CKUT is so far away I want to finish this first. Sighs.**

 **BTW, all views about abortion in this seem one-sided, but they are by no means my views and anyone who ever has to think about something like this, please don't feel pressured by it! Like Levi said, it is completely your decision!**

 **Anyway my lovelies, see you next update!**


	15. Ninth Week: Exposure

**Ninth Week: Exposure**

Mikasa paced. She was nervous and she couldn't decide if the sickness she felt was due to the way her heart beat had doubled, or the vanilla ice cream she'd just finished. Vanilla ice cream used to be her favourite, but nowadays she couldn't bare the taste of it. A few dabs of the thick cream on her tongue and she'd thrown it away violently. It tasted off, but she knew it wasn't. The smell gave her a headache and the back of her throat burned sourly. Afterwards, she still felt a little bit ill, but that could be because she'd walked a marathon up and down the same stretch of carpet.

Waiting.

It was now that she remembered how much she despised waiting. Like the time Eren had gone out with a group of friends Mikasa didn't know well and had stayed out all night. Or when she'd first rung the doctor's and they had been busy so she had to wait for them to call her back. It was frustrating. She didn't know what to do with herself. She'd already rushed to get changed into a pair of skinny black jeans and a long top, applying the finest layer of make-up so that Levi couldn't tell how much she had wanted to see him. Silly as it was, she felt like she needed to look and act her best, or he might just turn out the door and leave. As much as she knew that wasn't true, it didn't stop her stomach churning.

How long had it been?

Ten minutes. Two minutes longer than when she had last checked. Where had he been? At home? Out? Would he be here soon? In an hour?

"Sit down," A voice softly interrupted her worrying and she removed the fingernails she'd been chewing on from her mouth. "Don't get stressed."

"I'm not." She swiftly replied, wandering back to her starting point and refraining from fidgeting too much. Eren laughed to himself, a soft, light sound.

"Want me to leave so you can have some peace with him?"

"No!" Mikasa shouted quickly, then shut her mouth. A small blush rose on her cheeks. "You can stay, it doesn't really matter." The soft sigh of laughter sounded again and Eren closed the text book he had been skimming through, kneeling on the sofa. He rested his arms on the back and reached his hands towards her.

"Here," He encouraged lightly. She eyed his hands for a second, carefully, before taking them with her own. "Breathe." He said, simply. Mikasa rolled her eyes but did so, letting out a small whistle of air. His eyes sparkled with amusement but he didn't laugh this time. "Mikasa, you can trust him a little bit, you know? Since he's kind of cool. And have you met a more honest person?" Mikasa shook her head slowly. Eren took this as a cue to continue. "Things are hard, for both of you. But that doesn't mean you should throw everything away. He knows that. That's why he's coming to see you. You can sort everything. It'll all be fine."

Reluctantly, Mikasa nodded. She did indeed feel calmer, but put that down to the fact that she'd finally stood still for more than a minute. Eren waited for a few moments, then slid his hands out of hers and placed them on her stomach. His hands were warm and gentle, barely applying any pressure. Cheeks burning, Mikasa looked elsewhere but didn't stop him. Another giggle sounded and Eren finally sunk back onto the sofa, fingers reaching for his textbook once more.

"I'm sure it'll be cute. Like, really cute." He said, lips tugged upwards at one side.

"... thanks." She muttered, awkwardly wondering what the hell she was supposed to say to that. Eren spluttered into unrestrained laughter and Mikasa was about to hit him lightly, until the doorbell rang.

Her legs brought her crashing down the hallway and into the door. She stopped abruptly with her fingers on the door handle, the cold metal freezing her skin. The hand slid off and she skittered back without opening it.

"Eren!" She hissed.

"What? Really?!" He grunted. Mikasa nodded quickly and then immediately re-adjusted her hair. She'd tied two side plaits at the back and that burst of activity had caused hairs to slip out of place. She cursed. Eren sighed heavily. The door sounded again, echoing through the apartment as Eren trudged to open it. Mikasa hid, then shuffled out from behind the cupboard, then raced over to sit on the sofa as casually as possible when she heard footsteps. The footsteps grew ever closer, tapping across the carpet. She grabbed Eren's textbook and pretended to be engrossed in one of the pages.

"Hi, Mikasa." Those few syllables knocked the air out of her. She jumped and looked up, quickly averting her eyes again. His voice was soft, careful. Probing. He was searching for a reaction, unsure what to do. She dragged her eyes back to him and swallowed oxygen back into her lungs.

"Hi," The sound was strangled and she immediately folded the textbook and put it down on the table just to give herself something to do.

"Mikasa," Eren called from somewhere out of sight. "I'm going out to meet Armin!" _Curse you, Eren!_ "See you later!"

"Y-yeah! B-bye bye! See you!" She called back.

The silence was heavy.

The front door clicked shut.

Levi approached.

"Stand up," He said and Mikasa did so, shivering as he refused to say a word, stepping closer. She couldn't look at him, but she could feel his eyes burning into her. She was the centre of his attention, and he was only a metre away. This was where he finally stopped. This was when Mikasa decided to meet his gaze. "Do I have to ask for one?" He asks and Mikasa notices his arms are open. Without a second thought, she fell into his chest and let him wrap his arms around her. She pressed herself against him, feeling the stress of everything build and release in the form of tears. She fought them back, but the slight movement of his hand stroking her back forced all her emotions out into the open. Her breath hitched and suddenly his arms tightened. She slid her arms through the tiny gap between them and held onto the back of his shirt.

She cried. The tears just wouldn't stop coming. Her breath was ragged and whimpering, which only made her well up more. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She didn't want to grasp onto him so tightly. If he wanted to back out, she wanted him to know that he _could._ But at this moment, all she wanted to do was let him spoil her. The breath of his lips nuzzling her hair said that he understood.

 **AN:**

 **Yeah, sorry. It's been a while. Forgive me hehe~**


	16. Tenth Week: Fatal Fateful Encounters

**Tenth Week: Fatal Fateful Encounters**

"Put that back, it looks disgusting." Levi curled his lip as Mikasa picked up a maternity dress from the minute selection before her. Mikasa sighed loudly, clattering the hanger as she violently slung it back onto the rail.

"Then what do you suggest? Soon, nothing will fit me."

"An ordinary baggy t-shirt will do. What's with all this horrid mothers' branding?" His brow lowered further as he flicked through the rack of distasteful clothes. 'Cake in the Oven', 'Yummy Mummy' and 'I'm not fat, I'm expecting!' were written on almost every single item. The ones that weren't decorated with cheesy lines were disgusting anyway. Striped pattern designs and just generally revolting colours. Levi wasn't into fashion, but he knew that this wasn't it.

"Let's try somewhere else." Mikasa sighed again, clicking her tongue.

"You can borrow all my shirts."

"Don't kid yourself, midget. They won't be big enough."

"Your banter is good but your cooking is shit." Levi slid her bag from her shoulder and carried it in one hand. With his other, he took her palm and connected it with his.

"It was my first time cooking for someone else!" She defended herself, fighting the slight colour in her cheeks. She had honestly tried hard to please him. Knowing he had low expectations of her from the start fired up the competitive beast sleeping within her.

"Whatever, at least we know which of us truly belongs in the kitchen … And it isn't you." He added.

They walked through the exit of the shop and were hit by a cold breeze that made them huddle further into their thick coats. Levi glanced over at Mikasa to check she was wearing her scarf, but he needn't have. She wore the bloody thing every chance she could. Even the times where Levi had not turned on the heating before he had left and the house had dropped a few degrees by the time he returned. Each time, he'd enter their apartment and she'd be cuddled into her scarf and a fluffy blanket drawn up to her chin. They'd had several heated debates about this in a non-heated room, where Mikasa argued she was saving money and Levi complained that it was cold. Full stop. That, in his mind, was the only argument needed because it made _sense,_ but for some reason, Mikasa wouldn't accept that.

" _I don't want to have to wear a coat in my own house when I've got a perfectly good heating system! Just press the damn button, Mikasa!"_

They quickly shuffled into the next shop and made a B-line (via the gym section that neither of them had the willpower to walk past) for the maternity clothes. Once again, it was a case of 'no', 'fuck no' and 'it'll have to do', until they finally selected a few pieces to buy. Along with another pair of trainers for Levi because he couldn't resist the new inflated sole design his favourite brand had brought out. It was on sale; he had to. Mikasa had secretly slipped a few pairs of shorts into the basket too. And less discretely, a set of weights which made Levi grunt in irritation as the basket in his hand suddenly weighed a hell of a lot more.

They paid and made the decision to quickly get back to the car before Levi looked back at the weight belt he'd been eyeing up earlier. He re-zipped his coat all the way to the top and tried to slip his hand back into Mikasa's.

The problem was, she wasn't paying attention.

Her eyes were wide. She stopped walking abruptly. Levi came to a halt too and cocked his head to one-side as he waited for her to say 'I forgot my keys!' or something. It became glaringly obvious that this was not going to happen. Because her eyes didn't say, 'woops', they said 'get me out of here'. She was bordering on frightened and instinctively, Levi drew closer to her.

"Mikasa," a male voice said, surprised. Levi snapped a scowl onto his face and glared at whomever was speaking. His eyes raised to meet those of a guy who was around the same age as Mikasa. He had shaved the bottom of his hair and let the top half grow into a blond-ish mop. Levi felt Mikasa freeze up. The guy met his eyes and seemed taken a back for a second, probably because of the way Levi was staring down at him like a predator about to pounce. The man looked back at Mikasa again and Levi felt his spine straighten in anger. He decided he didn't like this guy but what he hated more was the guy looking at Mikasa. The way she drew one step closer to Levi, as if asking for protection, riled him enough to want to hit the guy before he even opened his mouth.

"It's been a while." The guy said and Mikasa just nodded. Levi quickly slid his hand into Mikasa's and held on tight. "I-is this your new boyfriend?"

"Partner." Levi corrected, the almost childish word 'boyfriend' not sitting right on his tongue. "Permanent partner."

"I see."

"This is Levi," Mikasa introduced, though every syllable sounded like she would rather bury far enough down into her coat that it became a shell to hide in. "Levi, this is Jean. M-... my ex-boyfriend." One look confirmed that this was _the_ ex-boyfriend.

Levi withdrew his car keys from his pocket and handed them to Mikasa. He passed her the bags, too.

"Levi-"

"Go back to the car. I'll be two minutes." His voice was low, threatening and aimed directly towards Jean. There was a predatory glint to his eyes that made Jean gulp and Mikasa tug harder at his sleeve.

"Levi, don't do this. Levi-"

"Mikasa." Levi growled. A shiver ran through the air and despite the freezing cold temperatures outside, Levi's blood was boiling. It called for violence. For vengeance. "You." He said, stepping forwards towards Jean, who backed up instantly. "I want a word."

"Levi, I swear- j-just. Levi, listen to me."

"There's something this bastard deserves to know, right? You can't tell him, can you?" Mikasa bit her lip, knowing full well he was right. She had intended on never telling Jean that his child was growing inside of her. She didn't want to see him ever again. There was a part of her, though, that logically said- he needs to know.

She looked back to Levi for assurance. He was glaring once more at Jean, but when he felt Mikasa watching him, he met her gaze. For an instance, his eyes were soft. Only for her. He lent down and gently kissed her lips, giving her the confidence in him she needed. Without another word, Mikasa walked past Jean and left the shop. Levi returned to hostility, though there was no need for intimidation at this point. Jean was sweating enough to fill a river in summer.

"Come with me, we have something to talk about."

"I-I don't have anything to talk to you about." Jean stumbled through the sentence but one sharp look from Levi had him trailing behind like a dog with its tail between its legs. He led them out of the shop and in the narrow alleyway between two large retailers. Levi shuffled his feet for a minute once he had stopped, Jean watching with twitching fingers. Levi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, watching the cloud of air spiral out of control past his lips. Once the fog fizzled out, he finally turned to the cowering mes behind him.

"Mikasa is pregnant. With your child."

Jean started. The tension in his fingertips dripped away until he appeared as though a breath of wind could topple him. He was replaced with a completely different type of fear that made his legs tremble like leaves in the wind. A cool whistle of air blew past them, past the ghosted expression of a juvenile, brushing against the tight jaw of Levi. He didn't spare an ounce of pity in his darkened eyes for the terrified father-to-be stood before him.

"Are you …"

"I'm serious. And I'm also deadly serious when I tell you this- stay away from Mikasa." Each syllable rang with distaste, like he was spitting venom from his tongue. He slid closer, fists clenched within deep pockets. The control he was exerting to stop himself from hitting this bastard made his hands shake. "It may be your genes, but the fucker is mine now. And so is she. So keep away from the both of them- forever. You have no right to that child or whatever happens to it because of what you've done." Jean willed himself to step away, but his instincts forbade him in case this triggered Levi to chase. A sour taste tingled in the back of his throat and deep in the pit of his stomach, threatening to erupt. With one last grunt, Levi stepped past Jean.

Jean turned and grabbed his arm.

"But-! I-it's technically mine so I should get to see it, right?" He babbled, terrified but desperate. Levi ripped his arm from his grip and span around with a snarl.

"You forced yourself onto her and you're talking about _your_ rights?!" The blood in Levi's ears thumped loudly, drowning out the regimented drumming in his chest.

"We were dating! She wanted to be with me! It's different!"

Levi's fist met with Jean's face. Painfully. Twice. He smashed into him as hard as he could, then decided the rush of anger in him still hadn't quelled sufficiently, so hit him again. After two though, the blood on his knuckles and the trickle oozing from Jean's nose helped satisfy him. Slightly. Enough to make him walk away, at least, leaving a battered and bruised Jean crawling on his knees as he struggled to stand.

Vengeance wasn't nearly as sweet as he had desired.

After all, she was still pregnant.

 **AN- Another update! Woo! Now to quell the complaints from my lack of activity in CKUT. Next chapter for that will be soon! In the mean time, this story will be wrapping up not to far away (it was only meant to be a short story anyway, jeez how did it drag out this long haha). Until next chapter!**


	17. Eleventh Week: Firing Blanks

**Eleventh Week: Firing Blanks**

The rumbling sound of voices sharpened in Levi's ears as he woke up. He was confused for a moment, but then he realised the TV had been left switched on. The next thing that he became aware of was his aching muscles that had stiffened in place. He tried stirring to get the blood flowing through his limbs again, but became aware of a weight on his chest. Eyes squinting in the semi-darkness of evening light, he focussed on the gently breathing Mikasa leaning into him. She was asleep, eyelids flickering as she dreamt soundly and hair slipping further down her face with every soft sigh. He wriggled a hand out from under a pile of cushions that had been stacked around them and waited until the unpleasant tingling had ceased. Mikasa twitched slightly in her sleep. Levi's lip curled at one corner and he carefully tugged her hair away from her eyes. She continued to sleep almost silently as he cast his gaze out of the window at the dulling light of sunset.

This was great.

It had been a while since Levi had sat back and fully evaluated his life – everything had been go, go, go every since meeting Mikasa. It had been a roller-coaster ride and he knew that the biggest drops had yet to come, but he was finding himself smiling at the thought. As his eyes traced the spindle threads of orange clouds out of the window, little daydreams passed his consciousness of Mikasa and himself spending the future together. He imaged the nights they'd spend soothing a crying baby into slumber, the days he'd return from work to mother and toddler playing on the carpet, the seasons slipping by like sand through fingertips.

He wasn't looking forward to the mess, though. No, definitely not.

Never had he ever imagined himself yearning this kind of touch, these kinds of moments with someone. Even the time he spent with an unconscious Mikasa snoring on his chest were enjoyable. He relished in the peace of a simple life passing him by. He would wake tomorrow morning to a warm bed and hands around his waist - that made going to sleep something to look forward to. Before he had met Mikasa, every bleak morning of the same routine was a pain. Each time he locked the door behind him to start the new day he was aggravated because he knew exactly how time would pass. This new routine, however, was comforting and pleasurable. Maybe it was because they hadn't known each other long, but it was still true that he craved the mornings and evenings he spent like this over his time outside of the house.

He never wanted this to change.

With an inaudible mumble, Mikasa came to and her eyes fluttered open. She took a moment to blink and then flicked her gaze up to met Levi's eyes.

"What are you smiling for?" She frowned, voice rough and unused.

"I'm not smiling. How are you feeling?"

"Like a whale."

"The bump isn't even that big yet."

"I've lost my abs though."

"Ahh, the only thing I was attracted to. What should I do now?"

"Shut up." She grunted, wearily planting a palm against his lips and rolling onto her back so she slid into the small gap between Levi and the back of the sofa. Levi adjusted himself too and slipped his arm around her. His other hand rested against her stomach gently.

"It's definitely there though."

"Thanks, I hadn't realised." She replied, dryly.

"Tone down the cheek, you." His fingers drifted over the fabric of her tank top curiously. "I hope it doesn't inherit your personality."

"Better mine than yours."

"The kid's going to learn to clean up after itself before it learns to walk."

"Keep dreaming. The piles of sick and crayon marks will be waiting for you."

"Say," He changed the subject just before they launched into a bout of nonsense. "What do you want to do for maternity?"

"Hm? Well, I'm pretty much self employed so it depends how many clients I take on. The gym sometimes asks me to run group sessions too, but I've told them I won't be able to do any the few weeks before and after."

"I can't believe you're still going."

"It's not like I can't lift all of a sudden now there's two of us. I actually think there's double the power."

"Don't be reckless."

"It's good for the baby."

"Cardio, not killing yourself on the dead-lifts." Levi chided and Mikasa scoffed.

"I'm not competing for crossfit or anything. I _am_ taking it easy."

"I don't call what I caught you doing yesterday 'easy'."

"Of course, because you can't lift as much as me."

"Do you want to take this outside?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she jabbed him in the arm.

"Shut up."

"I've completely lost what I was going to say." Levi sighed, poking her in return. She whacked his hand away and they scrabbled for a few seconds until Levi grabbed both of her hands and pinned them above her head, rising from the sofa to look down at her. "This is a nice view." He mused, refraining from smirking as she scrunched her nose at him. "Anyway. I was trying to organise my own paternity leave around yours." Her eyebrows shot up.

"You're taking leave too?"

"Just what do you think of me? Of course I am."

"What a gentleman."

"Someone's got to raise it properly."

"Stop calling it 'it'."

"You just called it 'it'."

"It sounds horrible coming from your uncouth mouth."

"Back to what I was trying to say, I get two weeks leave. If I can organise it with my boss, we could split the week between us."

"Will your boss believe you have a girlfriend?"

"Don't use that word," Levi grunted in disgust. "It sounds like we're in high school."

"People probably make that mistake a lot with your height."

"You're on a roll today. How about I shut that insolent mouth up?"

They squirmed and fought as the digital clock on the side flicked through the numbers silently, the TV still playing to itself. They still hadn't resolved the issue of maternity leave when Levi had finally called it a day, but he decided she was in a strange mood and he'd have to catch her when she was more serious. He took a shower to cleanse himself of the day's grime, narrowly avoiding using the wrong shower gel and smelling like jasmine, before scrubbing down all the kitchen sides as he did every night before bed. Mikasa appeared from the shower with damp hair and an amused expression, but he decided he didn't want to know.

Levi shuffled under the sheets and stretched lethargically. After the short nap he'd had earlier, he was feeling zonked. He'd probably nod off before Mikasa had finished getting into her nightwear. With a sigh of satisfaction, he rolled onto his stomach and hugged a pillow to his face, waiting for his mind to be carried off to sleep. Just as he felt himself fading away, cold fingertips prodded his cheek until he cracked open an eye to glare at her.

"Goodnight," She said, a grin threatening to burst across her face.

"Mmh..."

"Levi."

"Mmm?"

"You know, you're all right."

"Mmm."

"I just wanted to say that."

"You've said it, now shut up." She did, but crept under the sheets towards him and laid her head on the pillow next to him. He watched her eyes glitter expectantly. "What?"

"Goodnight, Levi."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He grunted, moving quickly to push her over onto her back with one hand and then roll her to face away from him. His hands wrapped around a bare stomach and pulled her in closer until they were skin on skin. He blew warm breath onto the nape of her neck and she wriggled a little. "Arhh, stay still!" He complained, feeling her stomach convulse as she laughed.

"Goodnight."

"I get it, I get it." He was whining uncharacteristically now. "Goodnight, Mikasa." She hummed and he could practically see the face-cracking grin on her face. Levi grunted back.

Life was most definitely good.

 **AN-**

 **Here you go! I had a few people message me asking for the next chapter so I skipped revision for my important exams and did so!... ah ha. A ha ha ha. Haaaah.**


	18. When She Met Him

**When She Met Him**

He caught her eye relatively quicker than most of his species. Really, the fact she even spared him a glance, actually several, would be considered a miracle by most who knew her. She had been distracted by movement out of the corner of her eye as someone leapt onto the pull up bar and out of basic human habit to follow movement, she looked. Her eyes opened a fraction wider – that was quite a jump for a midget. But that was the most time she spared him. That and a few million assumptions that she made during that moment; he was attractive and clearly worked out a lot. Dark hair, dark eyes, low brow and a face that didn't look like it smiled often. She quickly returned to her client and encouraged a few more reps out of him. That would have been the end, had she not had the razor sharp intuition she did. Instead, she had felt the soft prickling of eyes on her skin which alerted her to the notion that someone was paying attention to her.

Mikasa tried to drag another few lateral pulls out of her client, whose mouth and muscles noisily declined as he let go of the bar. She let him capture a few gasps of air as she scoured the room for her next piece of equipment. Ironically, it was near the shorty who cleanly and effortlessly pumped out another rep before dropping himself elegantly to the floor. At least, she expected it to be elegant because he gave off that sort of vibe. Instead, what actually happened is that he seemed to stumble, grunt and fall. She was smiling behind her mask of indifference as she came over to help.

"You all right?" She asked and immediately his eyes flicked in her direction. They were shaded eyes ringed with dark patches but they sparkled a little as he caught her eye. Attempting to sit back up, she noticed with incredible perception that he was favouring his right leg.

"Yeah," He grunted, bringing himself upright. "I just forgot that I was injured."  
"You shouldn't be here if you're injured." There was a second as he eyed her up and down and a spark of energy ran down her spine under his expression. She realised rapidly that she was interested and so far, so was he. She outstretched a hand to him.

"I wasn't injured until I got here... well, not entirely." He took the hand that she had outstretched to him, shifting his weight completely onto his right leg.

"Are you done on here? Me and my client want to use it."

"Yeah sure." Mikasa resigned herself as he waved half-heartedly – encounter over, move on. He passed her by as she took hold of the yellow bands dangling from the bar frame. He paused and her body froze up too. "You're using those?"

"Did you want to use them?"

"No, I've just never seen anyone use them. I don't really know what they are."

"You can do all sorts with them. I'll show you if you want?" She was hoping, yes. There was a buzz in her feet that made her impatient to interact with him, this was strange. He'd caught her attention from the get go and this guy gave her strange flip flops in her stomach. He only prolonged the flipping of her insides as he paused his reply and took a moment to look to the floor … where he followed the outline of her calf muscles up to the rim of her shorts.

He was interested, too. Something within Mikasa was telling her.

"Sure," he said and Mikasa was bending over to demonstrate immediately. The childish person in her wanted to show off. He was eyeing up her muscles? She would show him muscles. There was a thrill in this she enjoyed. It rarely happened because she had less interest in men than she did in worms. She didn't exactly have good experience with them. In fact, if she could marry Eren and just get it over with, she'd be delighted. It was strange and new and she was going to explore this courageous side of her while it lasted. She didn't expect this little interaction to go anywhere; it'd probably fizzle out as soon as they parted. That didn't matter though. She was going to enjoy it.

His eyes were most definitely on her throughout and she was most certainly showing off as best she could. The guy watched with a vague spark of interest glittering in his eyes as she went through the list of exercises he could do. As she did so, she thought about how she could get him to stay. Her client was pretty much forgotten for now.

"Your turn, Sam." She said, standing up with a face a little flushed. "That's two things you can do already. There are loads more." She tied up her hair with practised ease and removed her top in one fluid motion. When she rose from under the shirt with a flick of her head, the reaction she got satisfied her completely.

"Are those abs bulletproof?" She smirked and felt a slight burn in her fingertips itching to keep going. He was into her, yet he wasn't saying a thing and that was _attractive_. He wasn't flirting or coming onto her. His reaction was so honest and raw that she was drawn to him even more.

Okay, she _definitely_ showed off next. She even tried things that Sam probably wouldn't be able to do, just to gauge the man's reaction. He was impressed and _god_ she liked that so much. Usually men gave her a frown, one that said 'I don't like this'. Mikasa threw in some coaching tips to Sam because she still loved her job and she was damn good at it, but her attention was elsewhere.

"Are you two up for a challenge?" Mikasa asked.

"Like what?" He asked, and a cute sceptic scowl distorted his eyes.

"Remember the front rows I showed you? As many of them with one arm in one minute."

"One arm?" Sam whined. There was a pause as Mikasa thought he was going to agree, but he let her down just as swiftly.  
"I'll pass, thanks." He said and turned to leave to continue his work out alone.

"Scared of losing?" Mikasa jeered, aiming to goad him into the challenge. She was kind of disappointed that this wasn't going any further.

"Maybe." He responded, casually.

"Or is it because you have a handicap with those short arms?" It was a low blow and a last shot at getting him to stay, but he was as aloof as he appeared. He continued walking and searched for a free machine. "Boring!" She called out after him.

They didn't see each other again that day.

 **AN-**

 **Ooh, mix up. Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing! Surprised I had the motivation to write this after such a horrid SNK chapter release. And then Gintama, the love of my life and light in my darkness, is also becoming daaark. Oh so dark.**

 **Where did you go, dirty jokes and laughter? You died with the shogun # cries #**


	19. Twelfth Week: Heavy Boots

**Twelfth Week: Heavy Boots**

"Lemi," Eren interrupted the pensive silence of the group perched on the carpet of Levi's apartment. Levi had pouted for a while because Mikasa had let her friends in without asking, but he wasn't really that bothered. They were both good friends to her and they weren't too loud. What bothered him most was how she had forced him to sit with them. They weren't even lounging on the sofa – they had formed a circle on the cream carpet like school kids.

"Where did you even get that from?" Armin frowned.

"I put together Levi and Mikasa."

"No," came the stern sulk from Levi's side of the circle. Mikasa was laid on her back with her feet rested across his outstretched legs forming a double cross. She played with the buttons on her shirt.

"Mi, Le … Miles?"

"No!" Levi repeated, exasperated. They were not going to decide on Mikasa's child's name like this.

"I want it to be strong." Mikasa said and Levi snorted.

"Names aren't going to make it strong."

"How about … Richard?" Eren asked again; after the pre-prepared list he had brought was made redundant through multiple rejections, Eren was stumbling to think of more.

"No."

"Why is it _you_ making the decision and not Mikasa?" Eren grumbled.

"I'm just speaking her mind."

"It's true." Mikasa said without a trace of an apology.

"Eren, we need to get off in a few minutes," Armin sighed. "Finish off your random name generating and let's go."

There was a small whine from the other side of the circle and the scratching of pencil on paper. Levi continued his game of mentally cleaning the dust settled on different furniture, which he was finding much more stressful than therapeutic. Mikasa heaved a sigh, the third this morning, and absent mindedly fiddled with her clothes again. Her sighing cut short Levi's game because his sensor was starting to pick up a drastic mood change on the way. She was having a few recently. As a not very emotional person in normal situations, her swings were exaggerated and obvious. Armin was probably picking up on it, too, but Eren was as oblivious as always. Levi sensed a storm coming and the worst of it was that he wasn't good at dealing with them. Her sighing and grunting and complaining made _him_ sigh and grunt and complain. It was an exponentially growing downwards spiral of grumpiness that plagued their apartment. He would have to think of a way to calm her down.

"I can't think of any." Eren whined as Armin got to his feet and beckoned his friend to do the same.

"We still have time, don't worry. Come on, let's go."

"See you later, Mikasa. If you think of a name, let me know!" Only a small grunt rose from the floor and Levi rolled his eyes heavily. _Definitely_ in a mood.

"See you Mikasa, Levi."

"Yeah, bye," he replied, feeling obliged because his job of The Grumpy One had been stolen from him.

They let themselves out and the silence between the remaining couple dragged. Neither of them moved, Levi leaning back onto his arms and staring at the ceiling, noting the cumulation of dust on the lights. Mikasa didn't say a word from her position on the floor, chewing on her lip with a small frown darkening her face. Levi wondered what to do: ask her what was wrong?; try and cheer her up?; stay out of her way? The latter was his preferred option, but he had tried that the first few times and returned home to a mood so dark in the apartment that he thought he'd entered a murder scene. He wasn't too good at cheering her up either, since there was very little he could do without seeming out of character. That left the last option, but Levi felt that a direct method wouldn't get the required information out of her. He needed to pull a few strings.

"Have you thought of any names?"

"No." Good start, Levi.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"What do you mean, 'not really'? Do you want food or not?"

"No." Mikasa replied and turned her head away so that she could block out his icy glaring. A heavy sigh cascaded out of Levi's soul; he couldn't be bothered with this. He just wanted to clean up the crumbs Eren had left, as well as open the windows to clear their very scent from the air.

"Do you have anything you want to say to me, before I get out of your way?" Levi finally huffed in a last attempt to be civilised. There followed a long pause and the promise of a conversation filled the silence because it seemed there _was_ something on her mind. She was even willing to share it, after she had found the words to express her head.

"Did you have a dad?" She began, tentatively. Levi felt his anger immediately subside. This wasn't just a tantrum without proper reason and he suddenly had the time to stay and listen. For as long as she needed.

"Well, yeah, I'm not a vampire. I was born from _somebody's_ dick."

"That's disgusting." Mikasa reached over to hit him lightly, but the small glint of a laugh in her eye didn't go unnoticed. "So did you know your father?"

"Not even my mother knew my father, to be honest. She was a prostitute and I was an accident."

"Do you … resent that?"

"... What's this about, Mikasa?"

"It's just … this child wasn't … it was an accident."

"It was no accident but I get what you're trying to say. No, I don't resent it. I don't think about it. My whole childhood was messed up so that's just another one of the bullet points on my psychiatrist's list."

"But this kid is going to be the same. It wasn't my choice. He's going to grow up not knowing his dad, like I did. My parents-"

"Oi, what the hell do you think I'm doing here? He's not going to know his dad? Yeah, maybe not the arsehole that gave him his genes but there's someone else who's going to be there for him. Someone that's going to take him to school and pay for his basketball club membership and be there at every competition."

"Why is he in the basketball club already?" Mikasa snorted.

"My genes are never going to make a basketball player, are they?" Mikasa hit him again but she was laughing now.

"What I mean is-"

"I know exactly what you mean." Levi continued. "But it's not going to happen like one of those soap operas on the TV. We're going to tell him what happened and it's not going to make one shred of a difference because all he needs is you. I'm just an extra."

Mikasa watched him steadily, the fingertips of one hand subconsciously tiptoeing over her stomach. She gave a small smile, a genuine one that said 'thank you' softly.

"Just one more thing." she whispered.

"Hm?"

"It could be a girl."

 **AN-**

 **I made too many stories and now its getting hard to keep updating regularly eheh … anyway. This one is drawing to a close very soon so I want to thank all who read and those who added my story to several communities etc. I write for fun and catharsis and also because I like to see my work improve, but a lot of that is aided by people reviewing or subscribing to show its worth a read. Thank you!**


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